Part 11: Resurrection

Chapter 10: Resurrection

Welcome back, children. Last time we teamed up with Croix to hunt the demon holding Culotte hostage. Today, I'll tell you how we cast him down.
It's kind of a shame you saved him.
Laharl!
I mean, if you'd just let the demon rip his heart out, I'm guessing we'd be saved a lot of annoying stuff later, right?
Okay. A) You're an ass. B) Yeah, you're actually kind of right. But he's my brother, couldn't just let him get murdered. So shut up and listen to how we rescued him.


We finally cornered the demon at the peak of Mount Tarte.

VIDEO




Dad: Prier... My little girl...
What's wrong, Prier? You haven't forgotten your own father's face, have you?
Why you...!
You'll stoop to anything!!
Wait Miss! That's not---!
Sister Prier!!
Dad: That's right. Good girl, Prier...



What are you, stupid?
You think we're going to keep falling for the same trick?!
My mother and father died seven years ago!
The dead don't come back to life!
It's sad...
But they don't!
You may have fooled the others, but you can't fool me!
After all...
I promised Mom and Dad!
I promised them I'd be strong!
The dead don't come back to life...?!



Alan transformed into a gargoyle. Gargoyles are stronger than the monsters we'd been encountering, but are relatively weak for demons. As with Oseille before, defeating him was the main priority. We swept aside his weak minions and focused our most powerful attacks on him. He was dangerous, but our combined efforts were more than a match for him.



Hmmm...
What?
Have you noticed that there's some odd similarities between this story and ours, Prince?
No.
Well, think about it. It seems divided into sections, each of which ends in a fight with some foe more powerful than the ones before.
Now that you mention it, that is peculiar.
I still don't see it. I mean, there's no comparison between my awesomeness and her story.
You're right, my story IS much better than you. Speaking of which, I'm not done yet.

VIDEO




"Why have you gone and left me all alone...?"
"But I'm not sad."
"Because I know that you will soon return to me."
That poem... That was the message left behind at the crime scenes.
There was a man who disappeared last year, leaving that poem behind him.
His name was Alan.
And his wife's name was Palmier.
Palmier...
Yes... She was so beautiful...
And not just on the outside. She had a heart as beautiful and pure as the river Riviere...
But she was always sickly, and shortly after we married, she...
Losing her tore me apart inside!!
I cursed the sickness that took her, and I cursed the Goddess!!
...That man appeared three days after Palmier died.



If I found a heart that was exactly like hers, I could bring her back to life.
That's what he said.
I've been such a fool.
Two hearts could never be exactly the same.
But I believed him!
I had to believe him!
If I hadn't believed his story, I couldn't have gone on living even one more day...
I sold my soul to the man, in exchange for this demon's body.
And I posed as members of people's families and then stole their hearts...
But...
"The dead don't come back to life."
Those words hit me hard... Like a knife in my heart...
Why didn't I realize such a simple thing...?



You loved her so much that you couldn't accept her death.
......
But my crimes are too great.
Now I'll never be reunited with my wife in heaven...
But you helped me take back my humanity...
And for that I thank you...
Sister Prier...
Cleanse this poor man's soul of his sins...
Me?!
In the name of the Maiden of Light!




Why did you do that?! You can't run off by yourself like that!
I'm sorry I worried you.
I guess I should just stick to carrying the luggage...
Sister Prier...
Culotte just wanted you to understand that he's starting to grow up.
He wanted you to realize that he can make it on his own.
And not always be a burden to you.
...Is that true, Culotte?
I... You've always protected me, ever since I was little.
But things can't go on like this forever...
So I wanted to try something on my own...
Don't be stupid!
Stupid...




As a man, I know what the kid is going through.
He wants to show you that he's growing up. He can't be tied to your apron strings forever.
To you, he'll always be your little brother. But a man needs to feel independent.
Don't you think it's time you realized that?
Prier... I'm a man now.
I want to protect YOU!
I want to protect Sister Alouette, too!
......!!
I see...
(And I thought I knew everything there was to know about him...
But I was wrong. Culotte's grown into a young man, and I never even realized it.
I guess I wanted him to remain a child forever...
Maybe I didn't want him to go and leave me...
I guess I was the one who was being childish...)



I'm sorry for what I said.
OK.
I won't mother you anymore.
...OK.
When we grow up, we'll eventually have to follow our own paths...
But for now... I want to say with you. I want to protect you.
Don't you think the Goddess would allow that?
Yes, I'm sure she would.
So...
Yes?
For now I'm going to keep bossing you around.
Heh... They're quite a pair, aren't they?
They certainly are.
(But to tell the truth...
I'm a little jealous of them...
I don't have any family, or even a past to call my own...)





And that's the end of this little mission. We came away with a new friend, and a better understanding of who our enemies were. The Church of the Divine Mother...
That sure sounds like a bunch you'd expect to be evil.
Yeah, pretty obvious.
Anyway, I'll tell you more about them and our meeting with royalty later, I don't really feel like continuing.
Oh, going to go cry about your lost family?
......
Hey! Wait! What are you doing with that?
I didn't even know you could fit one of those in there.
He's never going to learn, is he?